New Social Enterprise Highlights Edmonton’s Diverse Community
Edmonton Eats is a new social enterprise that will offer locals the opportunity to learn more about different cultures through food.
They will be hosting their first event, a Taste of Libya, on October 19, 2019 at NAIT. The traditional menu will be prepared by chefs at Ernest’s based on recipes provided by a newcomer family, and will include 6 food stations, and a tea ceremony. The family will also deliver a presentation about Libya. Tickets are $65, with a $26 charitable receipt.
Founded by Maureen Murphy-Black, Edmonton Eats combines her interests in “learning about new cultures, hearing peoples stories, building welcoming communities.” Funds collected from the events will go to the families hosting the dinner.
Future events this year will feature Somalia, East Africa, Eritrea, and Mexico.
Openings
- Black Box Hospitality’s eagerly-awaited restaurants in Highlands are now open: Fox Burger offers burgers of all sorts, and June’s Delicatessen is serving up all-day breakfast and hearty lunch options. They are located in the Gibbard Block at 64 Street and 112 Avenue.
- Popular vegan eatery Padmanadi opened its second location on September 23, 2019, located at 6925 Gateway Boulevard.
- Dagu Rice Noodle is in its soft opening phase at 10408 Jasper Avenue.
- After some delays, OEB’s second location opened last week at 10240 124 Street.
- The Green Onion Cake Man is opening a second location in the former Baba Fink’s Canteen at 10020 Jasper Avenue. They are aiming for a late October or early November opening.
- Lan Noodle House is coming to the Raymond Block in Old Strathcona, and will feature chefs showcasing the noodle-making process through a window facing onto Whyte Avenue. Thanks Su for the tip!
- The Orii Vegan Market has relocated from Chinatown to Oliver at #5, 10156 114 Street.
- The Craft & Cork is coming soon to the space formerly occupied by Elephant and Castle in Old Strathcona (10314 82 Avenue).
- A new butcher, Popowich Meat Company, is opening in October at 6853 170 Street.
- Doughnut Party’s south side location in Ritchie may open at Christmas.
Upcoming Events
- The second annual Harvest Fest, organized by the Downtown Business Association, features special events and menus from October 17-20, 2019. This year, 24 restaurants are offering $18 brunch, and $30 or $45 dinner menus.
Reviews
- Twyla was impressed by the fancy toast and non-toast offerings at Toast Culture. It’s Twyla’s first review since June, after publicly sharing her breast cancer diagnosis.
- Kickpoint, a digital marketing firm, had an internal pizza party and reviewed pies from 7 different shops. Leva Cafe came out on top.
Local News
- Two local amateur bakers, Chris Koo and Nataliia Shevchenko, have been chosen to compete on season 3 of The Great Canadian Baking Show.
- The third annual Gifted catalogue, featuring products made by Edmonton-based companies, is now available. It features over a dozen local food-related products, including El Gringo Foods, Chicks-n-Chaps mustards, and Herbologie.
- Honest Dumplings just returned from the first all Canadian FoodTech Trade Event in Chicago to launch an investment round.
- Teresa Spinelli did an interview with The Tomato in conjunction with the Italian Centre’s 60th anniversary, where she shared that she’d like to open another store in Edmonton and two more in Calgary.
- A bit of a shameless plug – I was a guest on my friend Nadine Riopel’s podcast, Welcome to Town, on an episode all about food, where I talk about how the local food scene has evolved, and some of my favourite restaurants in Edmonton.
Urban Agriculture and Farming
- The Downtown Farmers’ Market is relocating to the GWG Building on October 12, 2019, and will continue to be open on Saturdays and Sundays over the fall and winter months. It seems the market hasn’t yet decided on whether they will remain indoors next summer, or return to 104 Street.
What I Ate
- Any week when I get to Pho Tau Bay is a good week. Given the number of colds going around my office, the visit was a preventive measure.
My usual at Tau Bay
- Mack, Emily, and I went to Amore Pasta for the first time. We love the idea of build-your-own-pasta, but on this occasion, we stuck with their menu of creations. I enjoyed the Amore Classic, with a sweet sambuca rose sauce, mushrooms, chicken, and green onions, and Mack chose the Show Me the Balls mac, with 3 meatballs, rose sauce, provolone, and gruyere. Service was great, and the portions were large enough for leftovers, too. We’ll be back.
Amore Pasta for dinner
- I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Hotel Macdonald for their special Downton Abbey-themed afternoon tea over the weekend. It was such a beautiful day that we were able to enjoy it out on the terrace. They launched their new afternoon tea menu in August, which features a honey-lavender cheesecake, made with honey harvested from the Hotel’s beehives.
My Mum and our tea tray
Only Here for the Food 